The Family (Or most of them)

The Family

January 17, 2007

The Office (such as it were)

A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE LOVELY CES WROTE A VERY REVEALING POST ABOUT HER WORKPLACE, FEATURING TONS OF SCENIC PICTURES AND STUFF.

I was quite taken by this intimate look into her work-life. I thought it was daring, very open and told us a lot about her that we didn't already know, which I think is a good thing.Unlike Ces, however, I don't have my own fancy-schmanzy office where I can just close the doors and take all my clothes off, if I wanted to. No, I work at a newspaper, in a wide-open newsroom.By most standards, it's probably about a decade behind the times. We are all in pods, separated by silly little structures you could knock over quite easily, walls that are pretending to offer privacy.On top of that, our newspaper, far more than a century old and the largest in our city of about three-quarters of a million people, was bought in the past few years and we have new management.A recent and disturbing development has seen our management become panic-stricken, as everywhere else, by possible terrorism. We now have security cameras and must wear ridiculous ID badges.People are fidgety all over -- even at our newspaper, which used to inhabit an historic building downtown but which several years ago moved into a new building way out in a god-forsaken industrial area.That's sad.What all this means is I do not and did not have the freedom to just take a bunch of snapshots, freely, in our newsroom. So I can not be as revealing as Ces was in her post.On Wednesday morning, having brought my Sony SureShot to work, I looked around in all directions and couldn't see too many people taking notice, so I snapped the following shots.Do not report me to the Homeland Security people or whatever they're calling themselves. I may be arrested.This, folks, is basically my workspace.

Note the antiquated Apple machine that I am forced to work on when I'm in the office. It's being propped up on an old telephone book.Note also my antiquated beige courduroy jacket, given to me by a former girlfriend before she dumped me. I get teased quite a bit about that.I also draw your attention to the fashionable flooring, the WW garbage can, the reams and reams of books I keep on hand that I never have or will read and the posture-correct chair that gives me back pain.Note also the funky white telephone cord going with the black phone.

This is simply the same workspace, showing my desk and cabinet in its impressive entirety, plus my cell phone, tape recorder, file cabinets I fear not looking in and the fantastic array of books, plus my bag.

The shot on the left, if it actually and miraculously ends up on the left of this type, is simply a closeup of all my books, such as Lacrosse for Dummies, the National Hockey League record and guide book and the Winnipeg phone book.Note the tool of my trade, a pen, plus a big piece of white paper in case I actually am forced to take notes.There's also a half-used packet of pepper there from some previous lunch, but I don't know if you can see it.

On the right, I think, is a closeup of all my most intimate work things...free coffee mugs and a blue football that I sometimes grab and throw at unsuspecting business and entertainment writers not far from where I sit.I tease them all the time. We sportswriters have a reputation to maintain, after all.

This, really, shows nothing I haven't already shown you, except my barely operating computer mouse and a copy of today's paper.But it gives the post physical balance, because I have only one more picture to show you. And it displays my unique phone from which I can neither transfer calls or accept transferred calls.

This photo shows two things: First, it shows, in the top half of the picture, the south end of our newsroom.It also shows all the useless crap I have pinned to my screened artificial wall that I have to peer over to talk to my boss.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of WW's workplace environment. As a parting note, I will have you know it is situated on Mountain Avenue in Winnipeg. There are no mountains in Winnipeg.How did this come to be?In Part 2, I will illustrate my home work environment, which is where I wish I could do all my writing. Please do not send any letters to the editor about this post. Just be glad you don't work in this building.

71 comments:

Your office looks like mine, except yours has more character. Mine is so sanitary what with so many rules being enforced (only 2 personal items on the desk, blah,blah,blah,etc,etc).

As far as newspaper offices go, yours seems a bit modern. My uncle who is a journalist and used to be a bureau chief for the UN in Geneva, has retired and now works as a consultant at one of the major newspapers here and his office is ancient. In fact, there aren't even cubicles, just those wooden desks situated close to one another.

A while back, after Andrea's art show, kj hinted that maybe I'd do likewise. Then, we had the it's-not-an-office-it's-a-fashionable-hotel from Ces.Now, you share your relatively tidy (for a newspaper guy!) office space. There is NO WAY I'm giving you blogsters a sight of my junk heap.No beer cans, but the little foraging lady could be in here for days!Unless guilt forces a clean-up...

Abt my comment in HE's blog abt Mr.Darcy...well I'll be honest..he's already thinking of marriage and I feel this is toooooo fast. Well he says we can have the goal as marriage and associate each other for now...wut d u think?

I totally agree WW...every word u said was right. And I asked him that too. What he said to me was that he wants to date me in hope of getting married to someday...and he also said that this mite not work out and that we have to test this over time. And yeah we havent even kissed LOL! He's planning too much ahead of time...thats why I find it all too smothering...but he did say he needs TIME too. U get what he means WW?

FIRST of all before I would comment on your endearing post of your own office space, let me clarify: I do not take off my clothes in my office!!! Good God! NO. Please. I don't even take my shoes off.

The only revealing thing about my office is that I have a lot of toys in it just like everyone else. Some of my co-workers have their own refrigerator, coffee maker, aquarium, garden, chocolate factory, etc...

Yes, we also go through security and we cannot even go to the bathrooms without electronic badges.

As for your office space - I can relate. We used to have cubicles and pods and "war rooms". Then our corporation joined the race sponsored by US Business Monthly or (Weekly?)as the best place to work in the south, in America, in the world, in the universe. There were studies made on employee satisfaction, retention etc. etc. The results included a boost in a wide array of benefits and those departments who were always relegated to the basements and attics were given offices in regular floors. We no longer have offices in basements after the great flood where we had to use Noah's Ark once again.

I live in the Philippines and I'm an HR (human resource) practitioner.

My uncle was a bureau chief working for the UN (specifically the UNHCR) in Geneva where he lived with his family since 1990 up to last year when he retired. He got sent to a lot of fascinating but dangerous places to cover events for the UN -- he wrote the Kosovo report and was also sent to areas of unrest in South Africa and the Middle East.

I live in the Philippines and I'm an HR (human resource) practitioner.

My uncle was a bureau chief working for the UN (specifically the UNHCR) in Geneva where he lived with his family since 1990 up to last year when he retired. He got sent to a lot of fascinating but dangerous places to cover events for the UN -- he wrote the Kosovo diaries report for the UNHCR and was also sent to areas of unrest in Africa, South Africa and the Middle East.

Hey Dilbert, your breathtaking photographic extravaganza can only be described as utterly((yawn))fascinating..

now if you can tear yourself away from all of this I was wondering if you could come over to taunt & mercilessly tease me while you answer some very personal questions about which POPSTAR you'd like to snog?

It sounds a lot like my office, and just about any other call centre in the world. Big space, partially partitioned (if that makes sense), we can all hear and mostly see each other... Since taking my new position here, I am in the fortunate situation of being shoved in a back corner with three other people (only one of whom I work with directly, but all of whom I get along with exceedingly well). We are somewhat removed from the main office. I have a map of the world on the wall beside me. I like that, it allows for extensive daydreams. If I had my camera today I would demonstrate... perhaps next week, if you're lucky!

well, it's about time i weighed in here (and where is cherrypie?). these comments have gotten entirely out of hand in my absence. ces and ww are taking their clothes off, or challenging one's imagination in very interesting ways; andrea is stalking, keshi is being counseled in dating and take-your-time marriages, ww does not know that menchie and ces represent the extreme intelligence and english fluency of filipinos, and i, ms.kj, can only say: what a crew this blogging family is!

makes me proud to be a member of the loving dsyfunctional family we all are.

and dinahmow, how about photos without the clean up. or if you clean up i will too.

Well now, let me straighten you gals out about what I do or don't know about Filipinos.

First, it's entirely obvious how intelligent Filipinos are just be reading Ces/Menchie's comments and blogs.

And yes, Menchie, I did know Ces is originally from the Philippines.

Now, I have never been to the Philippines. But on an overland journey I took many moons ago from England to India and back, a bunch of Filipinos -- almost all of them women -- were on that bus trip.

They were a pleasure to be with and around. And they were very well spoken and gentle and happy.

Winnipeg has a very significant, important population of Filipinos who have immigrated here, as well, and they have immersed themselves into our community in every way.

Many of them, actually, are very good athletes -- primarily in boxing and basketball, and I have written about and met many of them.

So, Menchie, I'm not in the least surprised by your or Ces's or Filipinos' in general command of the English language. I was just remarking that it's very impressive indeed, given that, as I understand, it is your second language.

Now on to you, Ms. KJ:

Yes, while the Kat's away, the mice will play. Cherrypie is missing in action, swept up by storms in Norfolk and environs.

Yes, Ces and I were disrobing, but if you notice it was within the confines of her office overlooking the car dealership.

Once she saw me naked, she ran away laughing.

Andrea never stalks, she just nicely flirts and teases with that wondrous sense of humour and wit.

Keshi, the bronze-skinned bombshell from Oz, sought out such advice.

And you, KJ, who have been AWOL (busy changing poopy Ryan diapers, no doubt), show up and...

Thanks for playing a good tune (fafc)..from the Concert for George..can you believe how much his son Dhani looks like him...

now about your office..I need to clarify something lest you think that I am merely a cold hearted callous bastard..what I mean't by my yawn is that there isn't a shred of evidence to suggest that you work here...drone city....no personal shrine dedicated to your kids, not a trace of individualism, no colour aside from the mortician grey, where is the mandatory half shrivelled sickly guy-plant used as bait to lure women to stop by and nurture it?..just a blue football...why don't you have the 5,000 media passes (with your famous goofy blank stare/startled deer in the headlight expression)that you have collected from all over the world?? Those monuments of authenticity should be draped on your divider!

Mygawd man you need to spice up your life!Shine that little light of yours!Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Of course, I'd be the one with the comfy corner office with a view. And I'd be the one who when I came out and walked around, the nudie mags would get shoved under the seat, the headphones would magically disappear, back would straighten and the whole floor would be covered with a freakish quiet.

Well of course it's platonic. I don't think I flirt with people who are paired off and therefore unavailable...

Much.

;-)

Harmonic Echo:

What does "mean't" mean? The same as "meant?"

Actually, I do have stuff that shows this is MY workspace.

I have a pic of Evan there at age 7 in his hockey uniform; a pic of Monica too.

There's several pix of me with people I've interviewed, plus an MRI scan pic of my reconstructed knee to go with a piece that still hasn't run on amazing medical technology breakthroughs in the world of sport.

There are cards of thank-yous from people I've written about and others from classrooms of six-year-olds who I've talked to or read to.

A lot of that stuff I couldn't take pix of because I was rushed and because it's obscured or whatever.

The plant is a good idea, but enough nurturing women stop by to keep me happy.

All those media passes are too valuable to me to have there and people there might think I was some show-off. However, I may post on that one day and scan them all in for posterity.

Angel:

I have a work laptop too. It's what I use when I write from home, which I did today and which I often do if I can.

KJ:

I will consider the advice from you and HE, for sure. I'm a very fast writer so rarely get caught on deadline. If I was in the office every day, it might be more of an issue...but I'll think about it.

Gautami:

Fascinating...and you're right, I've always admired teachers, so I get what you're saying about despite less than ideal conditions, all that matters is you love to teach.

I'd love to see a post on that whole thing...have you done one along those lines before?

Pam:

That sounds like a cool setup, where your children "work and play" too.

I wish I could see pictures on your posts. You're the only blog where I can't see what you put up as pix.

Awaiting:

So you'd like to be the ULTIMATE LEADER OF THE WORLD, then. I could go for that.

Yeah,its just getting started,and I need to help the admin of the site with his English,as its all a bit Franglais!!! lol! Hes from Quebec!As for a blog,yeah I know,I know!!! Its just kind of time constraints really,but maybe one day soon!

I checked out the comments! lol! I couldnt resist! Very funny,and as for Big Brother-what fantastic publicity that show has got itself here in recent days!I have to admit I dont really like Big Brother anyway!

I checked out the comments! lol! I couldnt resist! Very funny,and as for Big Brother-what fantastic publicity that show has got itself here in recent days!I have to admit I dont really like Big Brother anyway!

Wait a second... I missed it! I missed you offering me the opportunity to be your fashion designer. You do realize this means I get to see you in AND OUT of various outfits, right? And I'll have to smooth fabrics on your body - running my hands along those muscular legs to kneel at your feet and check the hem. Sorry, got carried away. So when do I start? ;)

Gulp! How much do you fashion designers charge? Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not enough...

Do you just want my debit card?

Ces:

I haven't seen your new post but I'll get there.

I confirm, on the bible or whatever book it is I have my right hand on (I think it's the Da Vinci Code) that I know you would never do these things.

I also confirm that I am totally teasing you, that I respect that you have a fantastic husband and a beautiful family, and that I would never tease you so unless I really really believe you were quite a remarkable human been and thought you'd get a giggle out of it.

The world of Farcebook

I have kids on Farcebook. And friends. And a fiance. And all are very intelligent human beings.

I am on Farcebook myself. But it is the TV of life now. It is the simple, devoid of ideas, unintelligent way of humans communicating. I am not saying people who don't Farcebook are any more intelligent, necessarily.

They are people who , I believe, are like newspaper readers are to television viewers --people of more depth -- and I mean that with no disrespect.

And they are people who need and want more depth, not less, in their lives.